1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a drying compartment for drying a printed web, consisting of a housing with intake and outlet openings for the web and with at least one infrared radiator directed at the web and/or with blower nozzles which blow hot air onto the web, preferably a drying compartment for webs printed in flexographic print, which compartment is positioned on the bridge between the flexographic printing machine and the devices for unrolling and rolling up the web.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to be dried, these printed webs run through a drying compartment. Inside the drying compartment, drying is performed by I.R. radiators and/or blower nozzles which blow heated air onto the web. With the drying of printed webs in the drying compartment, however, a problem arises in that successful and rapid drying is hindered due to fact that the web entering the drying compartment through an intake opening entrains air that forms an insulating layer adhering to the web, one that hinders successful drying.
The goal of the invention, therefore, is to create a drying compartment of the initially described type, in which the insulating layer of air that covers the web is eliminated and it is no longer able to hinder and delay drying of the web.
The invention solves this problem by positioning turbulence generators in the drying compartment above the web. The web to be dried conventionally runs into the drying compartment with the printed side upward, so that the turbulence generators positioned above the web strike the web with a turbulent air current whose swirling motion dissolves and eliminates the insulating air layer or bordering layer entrained by the web, with the result that the drying devices consisting of blower nozzles and/or I.R. radiators can act on the web without hindrance from an insulating layer of air.
It is expedient to position turbulence generators on both sides of the web.
The turbulence generators can consist of curved or diagonally inclined metal sheets positioned perpendicular to the web""s direction of travel and parallel to said direction. Here the diagonally inclined metal sheets will be positioned at an acute angle against the web""s direction of travel, so that said sheets will, as it were, peel off the air layers covering the web.
In a preferred embodiment, curved metal sheets in the shape of cylindrical bowls are positioned on both sides of the web. These sheets will preferably be situated in such a way that the concave sides of the metal sheets face each other.